Procedure To Get Driving License

How to Get Driving License?

To Relocate to France and you hold a driving license issued from within the European Economic Area (EEA) you are not required to change it for a French permits de conducive.

On will need to change your existing license if:

You have an old license with an expiry date that has passed

You lose or deface your license

If you had committed an endorsable driving offence in France.

Normally in Some expats choose to retain their home country license precisely because it does sometimes makes life a little more difficult for French gendarmes in the event that you are stopped for a motoring offence!

Anyhow however whatever restrictions that apply to your home country license apply equally in France. If there are medical restrictions on your license these apply in France.

So if you do decide to retain your existing license there is no need to inform your licensing authority (eg DVLA) of your new address in France as they will not change the address details to a foreign residence.

Application Procedure:

So In order to apply for a French permits de conducive you will need to contact your local prefecture.

Application form is a Cerf n°11247.

One can complete it directly online but it is probably easier if you print it off and complete it in black ink. So this is because you may need to discuss your application with the prefecture.

Generally As usual you will need to present a range of information and documents to officials and the requirements do vary marginally between different departments but unless you know precisely what is required in your own department we would recommend you are able to produce at least the following:

Your original driving license.

Your passport.

Utility bills as proof of address.

Two to four identity photographs.

Birth certificate.

Marriage certificate.

Some prefectures request that the license is translated but this would be unusual for an English license.

Sometimes you may also be asked for a certificate of entitlement issued by the DVLA and a certificate from the tax office that you are up to date with the payment of your French taxes. Form you need from your local center d’impots is a P237. So, in both cases it is not a normal requirement.

So Normally no fee is payable but this not always the case.

Likewise there is no set period for issue of the license which makes take several weeks to several months.